Payroll Manager

Danone; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 409,000 - 525,000; Full time

Job summary

Danone Business Services APAC (DBS APAC) is seeking a Payroll Manager to lead end-to-end payroll for Australia and New Zealand, ensuring on-time, accurate payroll and compliance. You will partner with HR, Finance, Reward, HRIS, and stakeholders to drive excellence and develop the Payroll Specialist.

You’ll oversee Time & Attendance, governance, and continuous improvement initiatives, coach the payroll team, and lead system enhancements to boost efficiency and employee experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, accounting, finance, or related field.
• Extensive AU & NZ payroll management experience with strong compliance.
• Strong T&A experience, ensuring data accuracy and timely resolution of payroll-related issues.
• Process-driven with focus on continuous improvement, automation, and leveraging technology to enhance payroll efficiency and employee experience.
• Expertise in payroll governance, controls, reconciliations, compliance, and risk management.
• Proficiency in payroll systems including Frontier, Kronos, PeopleKey, and SuccessFactors.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end payroll delivery for Australia and New Zealand.
• Ensure accurate payroll processing, validations, reconciliations, approvals, and statutory reporting.
• Maintain compliance with Australian and New Zealand payroll legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee Time & Attendance processes and drive data quality improvements.
• Coach, develop, and oversee the Payroll Specialist while maintaining governance.

Skills

AU & NZ payroll expertise

T&A management

stakeholder collaboration

people leadership

process improvement

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in HR, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related

Tools

Frontier

Kronos

PeopleKey

SuccessFactors

Job description

As the Payroll Manager, you will lead end-to-end payroll operations across Australia and New Zealand, with primary accountability for Australian payroll and Time & Attendance (T&A) processes. You will ensure employees are paid accurately, on time, and in compliance with all legislative and company requirements.

Working closely with HR, Finance, Reward, HRIS, and business stakeholders, you will serve as the payroll subject matter expert, driving operational excellence, compliance, and continuous improvement while leading and developing a Payroll Specialist.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Payroll Operations

• Lead end-to-end payroll delivery for Australia and New Zealand.
• Ensure accurate payroll processing, validations, reconciliations, approvals, and statutory reporting.
• Maintain compliance with Australian and New Zealand payroll legislation and regulatory requirements.

Time & Attendance (T&A) Management

• Oversee T&A processes to ensure accurate payroll inputs.
• Monitor data quality and resolve payroll-related T&A issues with stakeholders.
• Drive improvements in T&A systems, controls, and processes.

People Leadership

• Coach, develop, and support the Payroll Specialist.
• Allocate and oversee daily payroll activities while maintaining strong controls and governance.
• Promote knowledge sharing and business continuity within the team.

Governance & Stakeholder Management

• Maintain robust payroll controls, compliance frameworks, and audit readiness.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Reward, and business leaders across Australia and New Zealand.
• Provide expert payroll guidance on complex employee and business matters.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive payroll and T&A process enhancements, automation, and standardisation initiatives.
• Lead system improvements and transformation projects to improve efficiency and employee experience.
• Maintain high-quality payroll documentation and best practices.

What We're Looking For

We’re seeking a payroll professional who combines technical expertise, leadership capabilities, and a passion for continuous improvement to deliver an exceptional payroll experience across Australia and New Zealand.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience managingAU & NZ payroll with strong statutory and compliance expertise.
• Strong T&A experience, ensuring data accuracy and timely resolution of payroll-related issues.
• Process-driven professional with a strong focus on continuous improvement, automation, and leveraging technology to enhance payroll efficiency and employee experience.
• Strong expertise in payroll governance, controls, reconciliations, compliance, and risk management.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver accurate, compliant, and high-quality payroll services in a fast-paced, stakeholder-centric environment.
• Proficiency in payroll and HR systems, including Frontier, Kronos, PeopleKey, and SuccessFactors.

At Danone Business Services APAC (DBS APAC), we are a high-performing team passionate about delivering excellence, driving transformation, and creating value across the Asia-Pacific region.

Our ambition to be Best-in-Class inspires us to innovate boldly, collaborate effectively, and continuously improve the way we serve our stakeholders.

Join Us and Make a Difference

Be part of an organization where your ideas are valued, your growth is supported, and your work contributes to a larger purpose beyond business success.

Shape the future with us. Make a positive impact on people, communities, and the planet.

One Planet. One Health. By You.

Danone is a world leading food company built on three business lines; Specialized Nutrition, Waters and Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is bringing health through food to as many people as possible and we want to invite people to join the movement for a healthier world. We recognize the power people have to impact the world through their daily choices. Each time we eat and drink, we vote for the world we want to live in. We believe a healthy body needs healthy food. And healthy food needs a healthy planet, and this is what our new signature One Planet One Health embodies.

Danone is committed to create and live an inclusive & diverse environment, which will drive our growth as a business, as teams, as members of communities & as individuals. Valuing diversity is recognizing and respecting human differences and similarities. Our aim is to ensure that all employees and applicants are given equal opportunity and that our organization is representative of our consumers and society.

We commit to foster an inclusive working environment where we celebrate all types of diversity, both visible and invisible, which includes age, race, gender, nationality, disability, background, education, religion, beliefs, thinking style, perspectives and sexual orientation.

We believe that our differences will make the difference.

For more information, please visit our website at careers.danone.com

Danone is a world leading food company built on three business lines; Specialized Nutrition, Waters and Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is bringing health through food to as many people as possible and we want to invite people to join the movement for a healthier world. We recognize the power people have to impact the world through their daily choices. Each time we eat and drink, we vote for the world we want to live in. We believe a healthy body needs healthy food. And healthy food needs a healthy planet, and this is what our new signature One Planet One Health embodies.

Danone is committed to create and live an inclusive & diverse environment, which will drive our growth as a business, as teams, as members of communities & as individuals. Valuing diversity is recognizing and respecting human differences and similarities. Our aim is to ensure that all employees and applicants are given equal opportunity and that our organization is representative of our consumers and society.

We commit to foster an inclusive working environment where we celebrate all types of diversity, both visible and invisible, which includes age, race, gender, nationality, disability, background, education, religion, beliefs, thinking style, perspectives and sexual orientation.

We believe that our differences will make the difference.

For more information, please visit our website at careers.danone.com